Tales of Gray
by Cute Entei
Summary: What would happen if one world served as a link to intertwine the worlds of Tales of Symphonia, Legendia, Abyss, Phantasia, and Destiny? Read more to find out!
1. Chapter 1  The Meeting

**Summary:** What would happen if one world served as a link to intertwine the worlds of Symphonia, Legendia, Abyss, Phantasia, and Destiny? ...Neil Pierson always wanted something more out of life. He got that the day he met Ara Yule. The two embark on a journey and discover that the line between good and evil, the living and dead, and one world and the next isn't as thick as it appears.

**Author's Notes: **This story follows characters that I made up, in a world that I also made up. But if you're in the majority that isn't into OCs, don't run away just yet! My made-up characters eventually go to the worlds of Tales of Symphonia, Phantasia, Destiny, Legendia, and Abyss---each taking place two years after the end of each game, and eventually all the original tales characters unite in the made-up world. You see, I wanted to find a way to combine my favorite tales games into one fanfic, and this seemed like the best way (it's kind of like Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, except the story is much more in-depth and there are more OCs).

Since this is going to be a long fanfic, and it might be awhile before my OCs get to the first tales world (Tales of Symphonia---that's why I placed this fic under that category), I'm working on a series of oneshots that focus on actual tales characters. So hopefully you can enjoy those and get a feel for how I portray the actual tales characters until I get to the part with them in this fanfic. In addition to this, you'll probably notice that a lot of things in this fic are similar to things that happen in the tales games---that's because I took different aspects from each tales game and put them in this fic (though there is still a lot of completely original stuff). You might pick up on some in this chapter...and you'll definately pick up on others as the story progresses.

Sorry if these first few chapters are confusing and cliche---that's what I was aiming for. But I promise that it gets better later on! As far as pairings go, just mail me and ask me if specific pairings are in it. I don't feel like listing them all because there's so many. XD You can also mail me if you want to ask me something about the fic. This is the first fanfic that I'm actually "publishing", so I hope you enjoy it. Please review and tell me what you think so that I can improve! If you don't like something, don't be mean. Just tell me what I need to improve on, and I'll work on it---I promise! Finally, I'm sorry for giving such a long "summary". XD Kudos to you if you actually read it all! I promise that the upcoming chapter summaries/author's notes won't be as nearly as long (probably only a few sentences).

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the tales characters, or any names associated with any of the tales games.  
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The cold, unforgiving snow fell to the ground. It wasn't falling hard, just slowly and quietly as if it were Mother Nature's frozen tears. Something had happened---something that could never be undone. A small child stood quietly in front of a grave. Her whole body was wrapped in black cloth; only her eyes were visible. Those big, sea blue eyes were filled with both sadness and anger, but the girl did not shed a tear. She simply stood there, staring at the grave and the twin blades that lay on it.

The moon shone down onto the very same grave. A girl, about the age of twelve, leaned down and picked up the two swords that lay there. She placed them both in sheaths strapped to her back, then stood up and began to walk away. Suddenly, she stopped, and placed her hand over a golden locket tied to her belt. She quickly grabbed the locket and tossed it into the air. She caught it as it came back down and then took one last look at the grave; her lips curved into a smile. Seconds later, she began to run away as fast as she could, never once looking over her shoulder.

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Everything was black. Then, out of nowhere, came a menacing beast. It was black with a scarlet-colored mane and glowing red eyes. It resembled a lion, though it was much too grotesque to be such a noble beast. It let out an eerie roar; then charged at full speed after the girl, who was now much older. After more roaring, it spoke. "Ara!" It growled in such a disturbing voice that it could make even the bravest man's blood run cold. "Ara! Araaaaaaaa! Araaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" It had now caught up to the girl, and it attempted to slash her with its huge claws. She managed to dodge the attacks, but fell down in the process. She panted as she frantically searched for an escape amidst the dark abyss, but found none. Then the creature lunged toward her and let out a final, chilling roar.

"Ara! Ara!" a small voice called from the darkness. "Ara! C'mon! Wake up already! Hurry!" The girl quickly opened her eyes. She breathed heavily as she pushed the ground and lifted her upper half. "Ara! Ara!" the voice chirped. However, the girl did not respond. She simply sat up and stared into space, panting. "Ara!"

"Only a dream."

"Ara!"

"…Only a dream."

Suddenly, the girl seemed to snap out of her trance. She let out a sigh of relief, then proceeded to stand. "What was it you wanted, Drycko?"

"Finally you say something!" responded the voice, as its keeper revealed itself. It was a small dragon-like creature with red skin, happy yellow eyes, and violet-colored markings all over its petite body. "Jeez, Ara! I thought you were about to sleep walk again or something!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But why the hell did you wake me!?"

"Oh, that? Just take a look around."

Ara did as Drycko commanded and saw things that she had been completely oblivious to before. Many pairs of glowing, golden eyes watched the two from a distance---they appeared to be waiting for the perfect chance to pounce.

"We're surrounded," the dragon stated before Ara had a chance to comment.

"Uh…yeah. I can see that," Ara responded in a sarcastic voice. She shook her head and shrugged. "So there's a few galfs---big deal. You couldn't take them alone?"

"Of course not! I'm only a dragite, after all! We're pacifists by nature! You know that!"

"Oh. Yeah…" Ara said nonchalantly. "Well, you can help me if you wanna---it'd be good practice---but you probably won't have the time." She picked her twin blades off of the ground and pushed her golden hair from her eyes. "I'll make short work of these losers." She smiled, then approached the beasts slowly. The biggest one snarled as it leapt fiercely in her direction. The girl calmly executed a single, horizontal slash as the galf got near. Her sword gashed the stomach of the monster as it was in the air and blood squirted everywhere. The beast landed on the ground with a thud and remained motionless. Another galf cautiously sniffed the body of its fallen comrade. When it saw no signs of life, it let out a loud, depressing howl. The other galfs surrounded Ara and growled threateningly. The cocky girl simply chuckled. Suddenly, the beasts charged in unison. Ara brought her twin blades in front of her; then whipped each one around her in a one hundred and eighty-degree turn. In an instant all of the galfs were on the ground, blood pouring from their wounds.

"A-Ara!" Drycko yelled desperately. The galf that had been previously sniffing its comrade's corpse was now in the air, about to tackle the female swordsman. She swiftly turned around and slashed the sword in her left hand in one motion. "Demon fang!" she exclaimed, as a blue shockwave came from the center of the blade and hit the enemy head-on. The blast sent the beast flying backwards. It whimpered as it skidded across the ground, then finally stopped as its head collided with a rock. Ara stared at the fallen beast for a moment and then sheathed her swords when she was positive that it was dead. "Well, that was a fun little scrimmage," the blonde stated in satisfaction. "Now I'm wide awake!"

"Wow, Ara!" the awestruck dragite exclaimed. "That's gotta be a record!"

"Heh. I know," Ara replied, showing no qualms of her arrogance.

The energetic little dragon simply giggled. "Well, I think I'm gonna go to bed now. Hopefully those galfs were the only monsters around."

"G'Night! …And I wouldn't worry about the monsters. If there _were _others, they probably fled after seeing what I did to those galfs. Besides, I think I'll stay up…at least, for a little longer."

"Are you nervous? Ya know…about what you gotta do?"

The girl chuckled. "Nah. It's just that the fight woke me up, is all." She was silent for a moment, but then continued. "If anything…I'm excited."

Drycko smiled. "Kay! Whatever you say!" He slowly flew over to a peach-colored cloth sack on the ground and curled up in it.

Ara closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. A few seconds later, she exhaled and opened her eyes. She proceeded to slowly walk away from the little campsite, and continued on for about ten minutes. She stopped when she saw a gigantic city in the distance; it was glowing brightly, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. Ara watched it for awhile, then pulled something out of the tiny pouch tied to her belt. It was a piece of gold that fit in the palm of her hand. However, it wasn't an ordinary piece of gold. It had many different-shaped indents on its sides---as if it were a puzzle piece---and in the center of it was a reddish stone. She stared at the garnet stone embedded within, and then looked back up toward the city. "Tomorrow," she said, solemnly.

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"After Zephyr, Yamoore, and Gene obtained all thirteen gems, they headed for Concord…" rang a women's voice.

A young man stared out of the classroom window, seemingly uninterested in this lecture that he had heard time and time again. He ran his fingers through his messy, chestnut hair and quietly sighed. _(Happy birthday to me) _he thought, unenthusiastically. _(Congratulations, Neil. You're nineteen. Just one more year until you're an official adult. Then you become a doctor, have a family, and eventually retire---then what? Die? There has __got to be something more…something I'm missing.)_

"Neil!" the women yelled. The boy didn't respond, so she repeated herself, this time with more volume. "Neil Pierson!" His hazel eyes quickly turned in the direction of the voice; his head followed. "Neil!" she barked. "Were you daydreaming _again_!?"

Neil's reply was to look sheepishly down at his desk; small giggles could be heard from around the classroom.

"I see. What has gotten into you lately, anyway!?"

The dreamer's eyes moved from the desk back up to the teacher and caught her entire figure. Today, she was wearing a tan uniform with golden buttons that ran all the way up the center and her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun---he hadn't really noticed before, even though he had been sitting in class for nearly an hour already. "I-I'm sorry…" he said, almost in a whisper.

"Hmph!" the teacher snorted as she pushed her small, square-framed glasses up on her face. Her emerald-green eyes glared at her apologetic student from behind the frames. "This time, pay attention," she warned. Then she cleared her throat and continued. "Yamoore betrayed Zephyr and Gene, and the trio wound up in a fight to the death. In the midst of the fight, Gene escaped while Zephyr held off Yamoore. You see, Gene knew that he had to return the thirteen gems to their rightful place…before it was too late. However, in doing so...he gave up his soul…"

_(I don't want to be stuck in Flambeau for my entire life! I want freedom---an adventure. Up till now, my life's been pretty boring…well, except for when my dad was killed on the battlefield when I was a kid. …Then, three years ago…when my mom…)_ Suddenly, Neil noticed that the teacher's angry eyes were on him once again.

"A-hem! As I was saying, Zephyr survived the battle with Yamoore…though she was gravely injured. She used the last of her strength to join up with Gene, but soon found that he had given up his soul in order to activate the power of the thirteen gems. She used the power that he sacrificed himself for to stop the war and forever separate the humans and beastites. Afterwards, it is said that she died from the wounds that she obtained in the battle with Yamoore…however, her love for this world---along with the power of the gems---transformed her into the Goddess. Now she watches over and protects our beloved city, Flambeau, as well as the entire world." The teacher paused for a moment and closed her eyes---as if she were meditating---and then decided to conclude her lecture. "Anyway, your quiz on the Human-Beastite War will be tomorrow." At that moment, a high-pitched sound rang from outside of the classroom. "Ah. Perfect timing," the teacher mused. As the students piled out of the room, she exclaimed, "Remember to study!" She noticed Neil at the back of the crowd and tapped him on the shoulder. "Neil."

He quickly turned around. "Yes?"

"Is…" she hesitated. "Is anything wrong?"

Neil's pupils widened slightly. "No," he said, cautiously. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just all this daydreaming. You're one of my best students, but lately you haven't seemed to put much effort into your schoolwork."

"I know. I'm sorry…really," he said flatly, looking to the ground. "It's just…well…my nineteenth birthday has made me reconsider some things. It's made me think about what I'm seriously going to do with my life…and other stuff like that."

The teacher smiled slightly and placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Is that it?" she chuckled. "I thought that you were just sick of me or something---sorry for sounding so harsh these past few days. Anyway, listen…everyone feels like that at times---especially during their teenage years. Maybe you need a vacation? It would give you time to both relax and think things through."

Neil looked up at the woman; his mouth formed a smile, but his eyes were still thoughtful. "Hmm… maybe that _is_ what I need. Thanks, Ms. Arquette."

"You're very welcome."

"Well… I should be going now. I really have to study for that test." The boy chuckled. "Bye!" He waved as he walked out of the door.

"See you tomorrow, Neil!" Ms. Arquette called. "And seriously…you should consider that vacation!"

Neil casually walked in the direction of his home on a long, narrow side street. Even though it was simply a side street, it was given extra light by the tall lampposts that lined it on each side. _(A vacation…)_ Neil pondered, _(...wouldn't help. I'm sure. It's not that I need to get away for _awhile_...more like, a long while. A long, _long_ while. And I want to see the world, not just one place. And...and...it's not like I want to do this solely for me! I still want to be a doctor. I just think that I could help more people if I could be a traveling doctor…something like that.)_

"Watch out!" called a girl's voice from behind him. He turned to see who was there, but before he had a chance to react, he was on the ground. He blinked a few times in shock, and finally realized that a strange, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl was on top of him. He blushed---naturally---as he hadn't had too many close encounters with the opposite sex.

"Urgh! Idiot!" the girl hissed. "I told you to watch out!"

"I-I-I'm sorry!" Neil managed to choke out. He was about to continue, but was cut off as he saw the reason behind the girl's hastiness. Two men in white uniforms barreled down the alleyway toward him and the girl.

"Ahaha! There she is!" one of the men exclaimed, triumphantly.

The girl jumped up, but surprisingly, didn't run. "Not so fast!" she warned, as she drew a sword from a sheath tied to her back using her left hand. The men both stopped abruptly. Suddenly, the blonde reached down and pulled Neil up by his pearl-white shirt collar; then she held her sword up to his neck---a strange device on her wrist was flashing red, but she didn't seem to notice. "Touch me, and an innocent civilian will die."

Neil swallowed hard. _(I can't die here! Not now!)_ he thought, as sweat began to drip down his face.

The two men in white frowned. "Why you!" one cried.

"Let's call for backup," suggested the other one, as he pulled a silver device out of his pocket and held it up to his ear.

The girl looked at the two men and smirked; then she looked back to Neil and realized that the device on her wrist was flashing. The smirk on her face transformed into a look of surprise, and she stood completely still for a moment. "Well...that was lucky." She blinked and then began to grin. "Alright! It's like killing two birds with one stone! Heheh! This sure has turned out to be one hell of a day!" She leaned over to Neil. "_You_ are coming with _me_," she whispered. She moved the sword away from his neck and then lifted it into the air. "Demon fang!" she exclaimed, as a blue shockwave came from her sword and headed for the two men. She was running---pulling Neil behind her---before the attack even hit.

Neil stared back at them with wide eyes. "What have I gotten myself into!? I _knew_ I should've taken the main road!"

The mysterious girl simply chuckled as she pulled Neil through what seemed to be an endless maze of side streets and alleyways. Finally, one of the city's many exits came into view and the girl picked up her speed. As the duo passed the final alleyway, a young man took a step away from the wall and watched them. He had small, dark eyes and long, dark hair that was loosely pulled back. However, it was hard to notice any of his features in detail---a black cloak covered his body and part of his head. He glanced down at a device---similar to the girl's---that was strapped around his wrist and smirked. "So he's the one. This should prove to be very, _very_ interesting."


	2. Chapter 2  Explanations

**Author's Notes:** This chapter is a little more than twice as long as the first one, so hopefully you'll enjoy it! I don't think that I'm very good at explaining character's appearances, and I like to draw, so I'm working on a page that will have pictures of the main original characters on it. I'll post a link to it when I'm finally done. There will be a little "treat" in the next chapter (probably). I'm going to introduce an actual tales character! I won't say who, but some clues are that the character is a guy, has no specific game, and isn't a major character (though he _will_ be a major character in my fic). Take a guess (though it might be hard to figure out unless you pay attention to every little detail in every tales game). Finally, please review! I'd be grateful for some feedback. **  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the tales characters, or any names associated with any of the tales games.**

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"Hahaha! That was awesome!" the female swordsman laughed, as she came to a halt about half a mile from Flambeau's border. "Those losers didn't even have a chance to think, and then --- BAM!" Her pale sea-blue eyes were glowing with delight at the mere recollection. Neil fell to his knees and panted as he tried to take in everything that had just happened. He then looked intently at his captor and made sure to take in every aspect of her appearance (in case he needed to describe her to the police when he got back---well, _if _he ever got back). She was neither tall nor short---about five foot four---and had long golden hair that extended to her belly button; it was fairly messy---especially on top. She wore a red sleeveless top that only covered half of her torso, and a thin dark belt was strapped around it about two inches from the bottom. Her left arm was covered by a black sleeve that extended from right below her shoulder down to her wrist (the device Neil had noticed earlier was around the wrist), while she only had a black fingerless glove covering her right hand. She wore tight red shorts with a mesh-like black belt around the top; a golden locket and a small black pouch dangled from the belt. _(She sure doesn't dress like the girls in Flambeau…)_ Neil thought as he stared. Suddenly, he realized that the girl wasn't basking in glory anymore---she was looking at him, beaming.

"Pretty sexy, aren't I?" she mused, as she winked at him.

He immediately blushed and looked away. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to stare," he said apologetically.

"Heh, don't worry about it." The smile on her face transformed into a proud grin. "Not many guys can resist my hotness!"

Neil's face flushed even more in response. "I-It's not that! I was just…just…you know…?" He groaned at his own stupidity. Man, did he sound like an idiot.

The blonde girl chuckled.

"It's just that I've never seen anyone dress the way you do!" he said defensively, jumbling the words together because he was talking so fast.

The girl rolled her eyes. "_Sure_…" she teased. "Anyway, I'm Ara! Ara Yule. Ara Yule, the kick-ass, dead sexy, mercenary extraordinaire! …And you are?"

The boy couldn't help but stare at her for a moment before answering; this girl was so…enthusiastic…and cheerful---the complete opposite of the first impression he had gotten. "Ah…okay. I'm Neil Pierson. Pleased to meet you, Ara." He got to his feet and extended his hand, initializing a shake.

Ara smiled and returned the gesture. "Yeah. Same here…but, what's your title?"

"Huh?"

"Your title! I mean, c'mon! You gotta have a title! Like I said before, I'm the kick-ass, dead sexy, mercenary extraordinaire! What're you?"

A sweat drop appeared on the back of Neil's head and he blinked. "Uuuuuh…I don't know. …Doctor-in-training, maybe?"

Ara frowned. "Aww…that's boring! Gimme some time and I'll come up with a totally amazing title for you!" Then she closed her eyes, as if to think. "Yes, yes…Neil Pierson…doctor-in-training…" she muttered.

The captive stared at the overly-enthusiastic girl and another sweat drop formed on his head. _(Uuuh…what do I do…now? First, this girl kidnaps me, then she beats up some guards, then she somehow manages to break out of Flambeau, and then she simply wants to talk about introductions?)_ He was about to say something when Ara suddenly opened her eyes---glowing with glee. "Yup! Definitely the one!" she concluded. "…Neil, I am now one hundred percent positive that you're the person I needed to find! Soooo, you'll be traveling with me for a bit. I trust that's not a problem?"

"W-w-wai-_what_!?" he stuttered, his jaw dropping and his pupils widening.

"What are you, deaf?" she snapped. "I _said _you're coming with me! Honestly, why the heck are you acting so surprised? I told you back in town too…"

"W-well I thought that was annulled when you stopped here and started getting all _friendly_!"

A devious smile curled on Ara's face. "Nope. Just making sure that you really were the person I was trying to find."

Neil stared at the girl in defeat. Then, in a more calm tone, he continued. "Why were---" he began, but was interrupted by a tiny, dragon-like creature. It seemingly came out of nowhere and circled around his captor's head.

"Ara! Ara! Ara!" the creature chanted excitedly, still speeding around the girl. "Didja get away from those guards okay!? You didn't have any problems, didja!? Oooh, I was so worried! I hate splitting up! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! I've been lookin' everywhere for you! I thought you might've gotten caught!" he rambled.

Ara calmly caught him by the tail and held him in front of her head. "Chill out," she said in monotone, placing the index finger of her free hand over her lips.

The miniature dragon slowly nodded.

"Look," commanded the blonde, glancing over at Neil.

The dragon also looked, and then did a double-take. "O-o-oh!" he exclaimed, blinking wildly. "I didn't even see you there---I'm sorry!"

Yet another sweat drop appeared on the back of the chestnut-haired boy's head; this sure had been an awkward fifteen minutes. "…No problem."

The red and purple creature grinned. "I'm Drycko! I'm a dragite!" he chirped. "In case you don't know about dragites, basically, we're a tinier, more peaceful breed of dragon capable of human speech."

"Oh. Uh…that's interesting. I've never heard of dragites before…though that really isn't a surprise. I've never been anywhere but Flambeau and the surrounding area…and…they keep a lot of information from us at school…or so I'm told." He smiled weakly as he finished. _(I'm having a conversation with…an animal? This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger…) _

Drycko grinned. "Well now you know! …Soooo," he began, but couldn't go on due to the fact that Ara had clamped his mouth shut with her left hand.

"Enough talking," she chided. "Drycko, Neil's going to be traveling with us. I need you to go back into the city and bring back some of his belongings. We can't go back ourselves because…well, you know." She then turned to the doctor-in-training. "So Neil, what would you like him to bring back?"

"I-I never said---!" Neil began to protest.

"Listen, Neil…you don't really have a choice in the matter," Ara flatly retorted. "You're coming, that's final. Now, what would you like Drycko to bring back?"

The boy sighed; she sure was pushy. "Well, how about my cooking utensils, my book collection---the one in the gold-rimmed trunk, my staff, a couple of different outfits, a pillow, a blanket, the picture of my mother, of course, a backpack, some food, my violin---wait, how are you even going to find my house?"

Ara looked as if she were about to burst into laughter at any moment. "Hold up, hold up!" she exclaimed. "How in the _hell _do you expect poor little Drycko to carry all of that? What do you think he is, a pack mule!?" She shook her head. "More importantly, how do _you_ expect to carry it if he _was_ able to bring it here?"

Neil started to speak, but Ara continued before he could really say anything.

"No, no, no. You're not bringing your whole house with you. Three things. Choose wisely. …Oh, and to answer your question, Drycko can track down your house by simply getting your scent."

_(My scent? I thought he was a dragon…thing. Isn't that a little…dog-ish?)_ "Uuuh...okay. Sorry. It's just…I've never really traveled before."

The girl waved her hand in dismissal. "No problem, no problem. …Three things," she reminded him.

"Right. Hmm…well, I guess my staff would be helpful---I can't really cast spells without it. And…my dad's old book, titled _The Ultimate Guide to Healing Techniques: Volume I,_ by Archibald Spencer---apparently, I can learn new spells by reading it. …And, the picture of my mother…" he trailed off.

"Awww, mama's boy!" Ara chuckled. Then she motioned for Drycko to leave.

Neil looked to the ground. "Yeah. Something like that…" he muttered. Suddenly, he raised his head, realizing that Drycko was gone. "Wait!" he called; then, he turned back to Ara. "Doesn't he need my key!?"

The devious smile curled once again on the mercenary's face. "Nope…he has his ways…" she said ominously.

The sandy-haired boy stared at the city and gulped as he thought about the possibilities. How could such a seemingly innocent little creature ever do something bad? He shook his head quickly in an attempt to dismiss the thought. "Say, Ara," he said, turning back to face her.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"I have two questions that I've been meaning to ask you…seeing as I am going to be traveling with you, I think that I have the right to know. But…well, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay; I guess it _is_ your business."

The female swordsman slowly nodded. "Go oooon…" she said suspiciously.

The boy cleared his throat. "Weeeell," he started cautiously. However, when he actually got to the asking-the-questions part, he talked so fast that it was hard to understand him. "Why were those guards after you before!? And why were you looking for _me_!?"

Ara sighed and took a few steps toward him until her face was two inches away from his. "Neil, Neil," she breathed. "You had me thinkin' it was something important you had to ask, not something that…didn't matter."

"I-I think this qualifies as important!" Neil protested as he backed away.

The girl placed a finger on the edge of her lips and looked upward in thought. "Hmm…well I guess this _would _qualify as important…for you," she concluded. "So I guess I really should tell you!" She finished up with a grin.

The apprentice doctor simply blinked. _(Wow. That was easier than I thought.)_

"Mmkay! Those guards were after me because I'm not allowed in the city. You see…a passport is required if you want to enter. I don't have one, and I didn't really have the time to get one because I needed to find you. So, I snuck in and they found out." She shrugged nonchalantly, then continued. "Now, I needed to find you because my latest mission is to…protect you for awhile. I'm also on another mission: to collect certain…artifacts for an important archaeologist. That's why I'm traveling around…and why I need you to travel with me. …Does that answer your questions?"

Neil nodded slowly. "Uh-huh…but can I ask you one more? Who…who wanted you to protect me?"

Ara grinned. "That's classified!" she stated cheerfully. "A good mercenary never discloses information about the client to the subject."

"…Oh. Alright," the boy said, unable to hide his disappointment.

"Hey, don't worry about it! You'll find out _eventually_! Until then, just try not to think about it too much. ---Oh, hey! Perfect timing!" Drycko suddenly came into view carrying the three possessions Neil had asked for---the staff in his mouth, and the book and picture under each of his tiny arms.

_(Wow. That was…fast.)_ Neil thought.

"Good work, pal!" Ara congratulated.

"Yeah, thanks," the captive said gratefully.

"Heheh! Aww, it was nothing!" the dragite chuckled as he deposited the staff at Neil's feet and then handed him the book and the picture. "Umm, Ara? I was gonna head back into town and get something to eat. Is that okay with you?"

The girl grinned. "Sure, sure! As long as you bring back something for us!" she laughed.

"Oh yeah, of course I will!"

"Good."

"Kay! Well, I'll see ya soon then! Later, guys!" With that, the cheery little dragon flew off in the direction of the city once again.

"Now…" Ara turned to face her captive. "We're going to try out a little…experiment."

Neil swallowed hard. "E-experiment?"

"Yup!" she exclaimed, beaming. She then pointed to Neil's staff. "You said earlier that you use that thing to cast spells, correct?"

The apprentice doctor nodded. "Yeees…"

"And you can learn new spells from that?" She pointed to the book in his hand.

"Uh-huh…"

The mercenary's eyes lit up with delight. "Haha! Well then that means you're not an average doctor-in-training! You're actually like...like, a cleric!"

"Yes…I _guess _you could call me that. …Uh, may I ask…where are you going with this?"

"Heheh! Well, clerics can use magic, so they're much more handy in battle!"

_(…Handier.)_

"Me, being the reckless fighter that I am, I tend to take a lot of damage. It would be great to have a little back-up, you know?"

"Yes…" Neil really didn't like where this was going.

"Instead of standing around like some princess and making me protect you…_you _are gonna be _my _back-up! …However, I'm gonna need to test your skills first…just to make sure that you're worthy of suck a task. …I also want to find out if my hunch is correct---that's the experiment aspect of it."

Nope. _Definitely _didn't like where this was going. "A…test?"

"Yeah! Mmkay! First, what spells do you know already?"

"Not many. Just First Aid and Sharpness."

"No attack magic?"

"No…well, I _did _used to know Photon, but since I never really have to use it, I can't remember how to cast it…"

That devious smile crept across Ara's face again. "_Excellent_…" she said suspiciously.

Neil gulped. What was she plotting?

"Alright, Neil! That's all I needed to know! Now, follow me!" Ara began to walk north and Neil followed suit, swallowing hard before he did.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Ara came to a halt. "Mmmhmm…mmhmm," she murmured as she looked at some rabbits in the distance. Then she scanned the area and her gaze came across something else---a cave. "_Excellent_," she said, once again in that suspicious tone. "Alright! Just wait by that cave, and I'll take care of the rest. ---Oh, and you definitely need to keep that staff of yours handy." She winked once, and was off.

"Wa-wait!" Neil started, but his captor was already out of sight. He sighed, and then moved toward the cave. Once he got there, he slowly leaned against the outside wall of it and closed his eyes, taking note of each and every sound nature had to offer. This was so…peaceful (well, despite the fact that there was a looming sense of danger that just wouldn't go away). After what seemed like an eternity of relaxing, he heard some agitated squeaking noises and quickly opened his eyes. He saw the rabbits---from the cave, only about forty feet away---scurrying around angrily. He focused his eyes and found the cause; tiny rocks were being flung at them from…above him. He immediately jerked his head upward and saw that familiar face that belonged to Ara.

"Hey, Neil!" she chirped, tossing another stone.

The cleric's eyes widened slightly. "What are you _doing_?"

"Antag---oho! Here they come!" the girl exclaimed, pointing to the incoming group of three white rabbits. Their huge blood-red eyes glowed with rage and the eye-like marking on each one's forehead seemed to see right through Neil. "Better watch out!" she laughed. "They look _mad_!"

Neil stared at the trio in horror. Wasn't _anything _the way it appeared!? He never thought that adorable little balls of fluff could ever look so…menacing! Suddenly---without any warning at all---the rabbit in the center of the group hopped up and nailed the dumbfounded boy in the face with its too-big-for-its-body feet. He staggered backward while the animal landed gracefully on its haunches and seemed to snicker at him. He blinked twice in shock, then brought his right hand to his face, swiping the area under his nose. He held the hand out in front of him and his pupils widened; a fresh, crimson liquid was dripping from said hand.

"Ooooo! It gave you a bloody nose!" Ara called from the roof of the cave. "These little guys must really mean business! You'd better kick it into gear!" She chuckled. "Heh. Wouldn't wanna get your ass kicked by a few fluff balls, would ya? That'd be crazy embarrassing!"

The doctor-in-training sent a glare in her direction. "Not helping…" he muttered. Then another rabid rabbit charged toward him; this time he dodged. However, the other two hit him while his guard was down; one kicked him in the back of the head, while the other got his leg. The combined attack of the duo sent him tumbling to the ground, face-first, and he let out a cry of pain as he hit it. The three bunnies leapt up and down on his back in triumph; Neil was really beginning to despise them…

"Gah! Use your staff, dammit!" Ara hissed, no longer amused by the boy's clumsiness, but annoyed. "Enough…_games_!"

"Oh…right," Neil said, wincing in pain every other second due to the barrage on his back. He sighed, and then quickly pushed himself to his feet and picked up his staff. He jumped back and held the weapon horizontally in front of him. When the bunnies once again came in for the kill, he slashed his staff across and hit all three in their stomachs, sending them flying, blood squirting from their chests. "Haaah! Take that!" He smirked, then charged at the creatures, swinging his staff around wildly the entire time. One managed to hook onto his arm, and it bit down hard. Neil responded by shaking his arm around crazily in the air. The tiny beast continued to hold on until the cleric slammed his arm against a nearby tree; it knocked the rabbit unconscious, and it immediately loosened its grip and fell to the ground. Another one jumped onto his head and then pushed off; Neil swerved to face it and hit it with his staff while it was airborne, sending it flying. The final rabbit hopped angrily toward him, and this time, he stabbed it in the chest (the top of his staff was composed of a sharp, crystal-like object). His withdrew his weapon from its body and it staggered backward, fell to the ground, and died. Neil took a few steps away and then stood still, panting slowly and heavily. "I…I did it…"

A drawn-out whistle was heard from the top of the cave. "Ooooo…somebody's been corr-up-ted!" Ara teased. "I never took you for the type that mercilessly slaughters poor, wittle, fwuffy bunnies!"

The young man sighed. "They weren't _poor_, they were _demonic_!" He corrected in a sad tone. "…Anyway, I'm just glad that it's finally over."

The blonde simply chuckled. "I wouldn't say _that_! ---Look!" she pointed beneath her to a gigantic, purple and brown-furred egg bear, and it didn't look happy. "Looks like all the commotion woke Mr. Fuzz Face up!"

Neil backed up, and sent an accusing look at Ara. "You _knew_ this would happen…" he said coldly, through his teeth.

The girl smiled slightly and shrugged, attempting to look as innocent as possible. "Who, me?" she cheerfully inquired.

The boy shook his head in disgust, then held his staff in front of him in an offensive position. The egg bear moved slowly but loudly toward him. Neil waited until the beast was only three feet away before he charged, holding his staff as if it were a lance. Then he thrust it toward the creature with all his strength; however, it didn't even leave a scratch; it was almost as if the creature was made of rock. He was temporarily unguarded after coming so close to the monster, and it took advantage of the opportunity by wrapping its massive arms around his back and continually pulling him toward its body in a series of painful bear hugs.

Ara shuddered, covered her eyes with her arm, and then turned her head. "Oooo! Ouch!" she exclaimed. "He's gonna have some serious back problems after all the abuse it's taken today!" Then she lowered her voice to a quiet murmur. "That is…if he survives…"

Neil became as limp as a rag doll after awhile, and eventually the egg bear dropped him to the ground and began to walk away, taking him for dead. The beaten cleric just lay there, gasping for breath. _(I can't die here…not like this. Not now… ---Wait! That's right! I have my spells! I just have to quickly heal myself to the point where I can function, and then I can use Sharpness to make my attacks stronger!)_ He reached for his staff---his hand shaking the whole time---and held onto it as if his life depended on it. He closed his eyes in concentration, and with his remaining strength, slightly lifted the weapon. "…First…Aid…" he said weakly after about thirty seconds. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded him and he let out a peaceful sigh. Moments later, he stood up without a struggle and a triumphant smile crept across his face. "Heheh…" he chuckled, giddily. "I feel great, just like a million gald!"

The monster heard this and turned around; it did not like what it saw. It roared angrily, annoyed and furious that its prey was not only alive, but standing too. It stomped its feet and then moved toward Neil. The chestnut-haired boy simply stood still and closed his eyes, concentrating again. As his enemy came into striking distance, he raised his staff high into the air. "Sharpness!" he exclaimed, loudly and confidently. All of a sudden, he was surrounded by glowing red loops, and he felt a new power surging within him. When the loops disappeared, the bear was within inches from the healer; its massive arm was pulled back, ready to strike him; Neil immediately back-stepped, only getting grazed by the creature's blow. Then he went all-out; he swung his staff around wildly, occasionally hitting the beast, but completely missing it other times. He moved so swiftly that the egg bear didn't even get a chance to counter-attack; however, Neil began to move slower and slower due to fatigue. As he slowed, he noticed numerous cuts and gashes all over the bear's body. _(Okay…at least I know that I'm damaging it---that's good. I just have to keep fighting---just a little longer---and I'll win!) _He continued his assault on the beast, but---despite his mental pep talk---simply couldn't keep it up. Then, the beast whacked Neil in the face with its huge, powerful, and shaggy arm; he went flying---blood squirting from the spots on his face in which the beast's claws made contact---and then skidded across the ground. When he finally stopped, he coughed a few times (having the wind knocked out of him and all), then let his head fall to the ground.

"C'mon, Neil!" Ara shouted. "Grr…you're so pathetic! Don't you have any common sense at all!? …Use Photon! If you would've just done that from the beginning, things would have been a whole hell of a lot easier!"

The now-highly-annoyed apprentice doctor weakly picked up his head so that he could look at the girl one last time. Oh, how he despised her! He was now completely positive that she really was just a cruel, psychotic, seductive _jerk_. She was seriously just going to let him die here, wasn't she? "You're…you're crazy!" he panted. "I already…told you…I don't…remember…how to use it!"

"Shut up!" she roared. "Just pick up the damn staff (it had fallen out of his hand and landed about five feet in front of him) and use the damn spell!"

"I---"

"Shut up!"

Neil sighed, then looked at the approaching egg bear; it wasn't completely impossible…at the pace the creature was moving, he might just be able to grab his staff before the bear crushed it and then make an attempt at the spell… He took in a deep breath, then crawled as fast as he could to his weapon. When he picked it up, the bear---now only a foot in front of him---attempted to hit him again, but thankfully, he was able to evade the attack. Then he crawled backward (greatly resembling an over-sized crab) trying to get as far away from his opponent as possible, panting all the while. The monster slowly came toward him again, and he panted even more. "Photon! Photon! Photon!" he yelled desperately. When nothing happened, he freaked out even more, moving faster than ever due to the new motivation. He managed to put some serious distance between himself and the beast, and then stopped. "Okay…think, think, think!" he breathed. "The light that purifies…the seal of destruction…surrounds the foe…shocks it…the incantation…" he mumbled absentmindedly in an attempt to remember how to cast the spell. He noticed now that the bear was only five feet away…four…three… "Grr…think, think---wait! I think I've got it!" He tightly shut his eyes in concentration and raised his staff; the egg bear was now only a foot away with its paws pulled back and ready to strike.

"Photon!" Neil roared. Nothing happened at first, and he cringed away from the bear, awaiting his death; however, it did not come; instead, he heard a high-pitched, ringing sound and the agonized roars of the egg bear. He opened his eyes and faced the beast, only to find that it was in the air being tortured by a sphere of light. He stared in amazement, only blinking once. After about a minute, the light disappeared and the monster fell to the ground in a heap of violet fur. Neil stared down at the beast and tears began to well up in his eyes. "I…I did it. I can't believe…I actually did it," he said, incredulously. "I'm alive…"

"Wow! I'm somewhat impressed!" Ara's voice said from right behind him.

The boy quickly turned to look at her, startled.

The mercenary stared down at the fallen creature approvingly and smirked. "I must say…I was almost positive that you were gonna die…but nope! In the end, you really pulled through! Congrats, you passed, A plus! ---Heeey, are you…? Are you…crying?"

"N-no!" the cleric replied, a little too curtly.

The blonde stifled her laughter, placing a hand over her mouth. "…Liar," she muttered, after regaining her cool.

"I-I…n-no!" Neil stuttered. "I-I…well, _maybe_…" He looked down in defeat, but then burst out, "But in my defense, I almost died! _And _you just watched! You weren't going to do anything---I though you were getting _paid _to protect me!"

Ara placed her index finger next to her lips and looked up absently. "…That _is _true," she concluded. "However, it's only one job! Besides, _these _kinds of jobs really aren't my forte." She lowered her tone to a more serious one. "Working with other people…protecting them…isn't something I normally do. …No, I usually take on…bloodier jobs…the kinds that require me to take out certain people…if you know what I mean. And well, I needed to see if you'd be worth keeping around---if you'd be worth the toll this is gonna take on me." She paused for a moment, and then went on in her usual, upbeat tone. "But _anyways_, why are you complaining? You passed! You should be happy! And not only that! You also toughened up slightly---could've done without the tears---and relearned an awesome spell; thus, proving my hypothesis correct: danger does bring out people's inner strength!"

Neil stared at the mercenary in complete awe. How in the _hell _was he supposed to be happy after _that_? His worst fears had been confirmed: he really had been kidnapped by a psychotic, two-faced…_murderer_. His lips quivered as he pondered this longer, and then he finally burst out, "You're crazy!" taking a few steps backward.

"Yeah, I know!" Ara said cheerily, unfazed by the insult. "I get that a lot! ---Thanks, though!

Neil blinked. What the heck was he supposed to say to that!? _(…I guess I really am going to die here, at the hands of this girl. It's just like those news stories I used to hear about…when someone who seems completely composed turns out to be a serial killer... They lure their victims to some place reclusive and then violently sabotage their bodies…)_ He shuddered at the thought, then decided on what he had to say. "Your…welcome."

Ara began to laugh. "C'mon! Don't tell me you're scared!" she teased. "I thought I made it clear! I'm not gonna kill you---or let anyone else, for that matter. You passed the test. Even if you didn't, and still managed to survive, I wouldn't have done a thing to you! I'm a nice person!" She shrugged. "It's not like I kill people for fun; it's strictly business---a living; almost all mercenaries do the same thing!" She shrugged again. "And if you haven't noticed by now, I'm a lot…_different_ from other people; that's why I'm labeled as crazy a lot! So…no worries, kay?"

The apprentice doctor nodded, speechless. _(Wow. It's like she can read minds.) _

"Well then, let's get back and set up camp! I'm sure that Drycko'll be back soon if he isn't already!"

Neil smiled slightly. "…Okay."

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"Hey, Ara?" Neil said, taking a bite out of an ear of corn that Drycko brought (Neil seriously wondered how the shop owner reacted to a talking dragon.).

"Yeah?" she replied, after taking a swig of her wine.

"Uuuuh…I was wondering…where are we headed…tomorrow?" He took another bite out of his corn, and then set it down beside him.

"That," She took a bite out of a fish, swallowed, then continued, "is a surprise. …However, I _will _tell you one thing: it's a port town." She sipped some more wine. "We're gonna catch a ship there and take it across the sea to Erie. …And from _there_, we'll head over to Grandiose, where one of the artifacts I'm looking for apparently resides."

"Grandiose! Grandiose! Grandiose!" Drycko chimed in. "Heheh! I can't wait! That place has everything!" He was now quickly looping around Ara and Neil in the air.

The blonde frowned. "Chill," she said flatly, grabbing hold of his tail.

The dragite's already-beat-red skin turned an even brighter shade of crimson as he looked at the girl. "Sorry, Ara!" he said in a still-cheery tone. "I dunno what's gotten into me! I've just been really, really hyper today for some reason!" He paused, then added, "---More so than usual!" as an afterthought.

"I know what's gotten into you…" Ara muttered, letting go of the cheerful little dragon's tail. "…Grapes," she said in a more audible tone.

"Grapes?" Neil repeated, raising an eyebrow.

A sweat drop appeared on the back of Drycko's head. "Heheh…oh yeah. I'm sorry, Ara! I just love 'em so much!" His eyes lit up at the thought.

Ara shook her head, sighed, and then turned to Neil. "Yeah, grapes," she confirmed. "Grapes for dragites are like…hmm…well, like what cat nip is for cats or what sugar is for humans. Basically, they make dragites completely berserk. "So, no matter how much he begs you, _never _let him have grapes…got it? Today's not so bad, because he only had one or two…right?"

Drycko nodded enthusiastically.

"…But if he has more, it can get…messy. …Okay?"

The boy nodded. "Yes. I'll keep that in mind." Suddenly, he heard Drycko giggling high above him, and he cocked his head back so that he could see; Drycko was zigzagging around, occasionally doing flips.

"Dammit, Drycko!" Ara yelled. "We're going to bed as soon as we finish eating, so if you don't quiet down and chill out soon, or I'm totally gonna ditch you!"

"Aww…c'mon, Ara!" the dragite whined as he slowly floated down and perched on her shoulder. "You know I can't help it!"

The mercenary sighed. "Well, you're gonna have to go somewhere else if you wanna burn the energy off…"

"Mmkay!" Drycko chirped. "No problem, no problem!" With that, he zipped off and was gone; Ara happily continued to eat.

"Ara?" Neil asked, watching Drycko disappear into the distance.

The girl didn't reply at first---being in the middle of chewing some fish---but said, "Uh-huh," shortly after.

"You didn't…" the boy hesitated. "You didn't have to be so…harsh. I wouldn't have minded his uh…hyperactivity. I'm used to falling asleep in the midst of a lot of noise.

Ara burst out laughing; the wine that was in her mouth ended up on Neil's shirt and he winced. After she had calmed down a bit, she said, "Oh. Heh, sorry. I'll have Drycko get you another shirt before we leave tomorrow. ---Ahem! _Anyways_, you think _that_ was being harsh? Pfft! Hardly…I guess you really aren't gonna want to catch me on an off-day."

Neil sighed. "…Oh. Okay." He was too tired to discuss the matter the further.

"Pfft! Harsh…" the blonde girl muttered.

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Neil stared up at the black sky that was speckled with tiny white dots. It was so pretty, unlike Flambeau, city of eternal daytime. There was something unnatural about his hometown…like it was covered in some protective bubble… _(I wonder how long I've been awake. It seems like hours. It's just…I can't fall asleep now. There's so many thoughts that I just can't shake. But…I guess I'm kind of excited. This is so strange. I wished that I could go on an adventure…and it looks like I'm getting just that. The Goddess must be looking out for me or something…) _He rolled over, and Ara came into view. She was laying flat on her stomach with her mouth hanging open. _(Not the most…graceful sleeper, I guess.)_ But still…there was something about this girl…despite all of her quirks; Neil kind of liked her…kind of. He smiled, and then closed his eyes.

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"Welcome!" Ara exclaimed, holding her arms wide open like the father of the prodigal son. "…To Brigand!"

Neil's jaw dropped and his pupils expanded several sizes. _(What the---!? Why did she bring _mehere


End file.
